Many readers know
the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of
action, secrets, and romance.

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief
Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of
Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief
posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret
past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham
could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have
the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight
worth dying for.

I’ve loved Robin
Hood since I was a little girl, so when I heard about Scarlet, I knew I
had to read it - Will Scarlet as a girl? Brilliant. Despite my excitement, part
of me was worried for several reasons - what if I didn’t like this version and
it affected how I felt about Robin Hood in general? The synopsis hinted at a
romance between Robin and Scarlet, but I’ve been in love with the idea of Robin
Hood and Maid Marian since I first saw the Disney version at age four or five, so I couldn't imagine accepting a relationship between Robin and anyone else.

I needn’t have
worried. Not only was Scarlet well written, it was an incredibly
original, fascinating, compelling take on the Robin Hood lore. It captured me
from the first page and held on tight, making me laugh, cry, fall in love, and
yell at the pages. It broke my heart into a million tiny pieces then pieced it
back together and healed it.

Scarlet has a bit
of something for everyone - humour, action, suspense, romance. It’s full of
unexpected twists, tension, and enough funny moments to balance out the serious
ones.

As for the
characters, Scarlet is quite possibly one of my favourite characters ever. She
was so real, she practically leapt off the pages. Strong and tough, independent
and clever, she was a fascinating contrast of hard and soft, fierce and
vulnerable. More than once I wanted to wrap my arms around her and tell her everything would be all right. Underneath her rough exterior was a scared, damaged girl who didn’t
think she deserved anything good in life. Just when I thought we knew everything there was to know about her, another layer was exposed, and it made me love her even more. Robin made me fall in love with Robin
Hood lore all over again. Younger than in most of the stories out there, he was
just as complex and layered as Scarlet, and the interactions between them made
me swoon, made me angry, made me laugh, and even made me tear up more than
once. The rest of the
characters, particularly John and Much added so much dimension to the story.
John was fun and flirty (I have to admit, I kind of fell in love with him too) while Much was steady and loyal. The four of them were
like a band of misfits brought together by Robin, and I rooted for each of them
for different reasons.

Overall, I thought Scarlet
was absolutely brilliant. These characters and their stories, while somewhat
familiar, were also brand new in the best ways possible, and I know they’ll
stick with me for a very long time. I would (and will) recommend this book to
anyone, but particularly those interested in Robin Hood lore, historical
fiction with an authentic feel, and stories with lots of heart.

For those of you
who don’t know, November was Scarlet Month here at Ramblings of a Daydreamer,
as well as at Thoughts at One in the Morning, run by my amazing friend Jessica.
When AC Gaughen found out we were doing a Scarlet Read-Along, she very
generously donated a UK paperback version of Scarlet, along with signed
bookmarks. Today we’re giving one lucky Canadian or US citizen a chance to win
that book and a bookmark!

Giveaway Guidelines:

*This giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the US. Sorry international friends! I'll be doing giveaways for signed Scarlet bookmarks in the new year ;-)

*You must be 15 years old or older to enter, or have permission from a parent or guardian

8 comments:

I am so.... soooo...... soooooooo glad that we picked this book. It was fascinating and brilliant. It did have a bit of something for everyone! I plan on passing it on to a few friends. Everything about it was good--the retelling, the history, the characters... just, so good. ^_^

Get my posts in your inbox!

*Blue Sky Days

*The Game Changer

*The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

*Waiting for the Storm (Angel Island #1)

*After the Storm (Angel Island #2)

*Take Them by Storm (Angel Island #3)*Something in the Air

In accordance with FTC guidelines for bloggers and endorsements, I would like to clarify that the books and products reviewed on Ramblings of a Daydreamer
are either purchased/borrowed by me or provided by the
publisher/author free of charge in exchange for honest consideration. I am neither compensated for my
reviews nor are my opinions influenced in any way.

I receive a small commission from Amazon.com for items purchased through my affiliate links. All money goes back into the blog, either via maintenance or giveaways.